ESSAY: Pregnancy Discrimination Act & FMLA Discrimination Video

Resource: Discrimination Act & FMLA Discrimination Grading Guide

Skyline Preparatory High for Girls is an elite prep school with 47 faculty and staff members on the payroll. Jamie Davis, a two-year English instructor, becomes pregnant. She is not married. She is a slim woman who is not showing visible signs of pregnancy and has not told the school administrators of her pregnancy. In her sixth month of pregnancy she develops pre-eclampsia, necessitating that she go on pregnancy leave immediately. Davis requests medical leave due to her pregnancy and applies for FMLA, believing that she is eligible (and because she desires to care for her baby after the baby is born). Skyline Prep’s Headmaster, Doris Jones, tells Davis that she must resign because she would be setting a poor example for the students. Davis refuses, and now Doris Jones wants to terminate her.

You are an attorney located at a New York City law firm that specializes in employment law. Doris Jones has contacted you for confidential legal advice, fearing that she may expose the school to liability.

What advice would you give to Skyline Prep’s Headmaster, Doris Jones?
How would you advise her to proceed?

Research the laws and legal cases on the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Family Medical Leave Act using online law libraries or other Internet sources of your choice.

Research the Internet for sources on how to make a simple video on your cell phone or computer if you are not already familiar with how to make one.

Imagine that you are speaking with Doris Jones via video chat or video conferencing.

Produce a video of no more than five minutes that addresses the following with Doris Jones:

Explain the major components of both the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Discuss whether or not Davis is protected under the PDA.
Discuss whether or not Davis is eligible for FMLA.
Evaluate the actions of the school in this situation. In a positive and professional way, explain to Doris Jones what the school should do to prevent an adverse situation from occurring.
As an attorney, what actions would you recommend that Doris Jones take to resolve this situation? Discuss this in the video.
Conclude the video with professional closing remarks.

Consider the organizational culture, HR training, company policies and procedures, and strategic steps that should be addressed in your response.

ANSWER

Pregnancy discrimination is a common practice in most organizations. This refers to the act of treating a pregnant woman indifferently or unfavorably in the workplace. The discrimination may extend to the time of childbirth, or any other conditions linked to pregnancy and childbirth (Brown, 2016). Some of these conditions may include depression, anxiety, high blood pressure and miscarriage. The most common forms of discrimination experienced include not being considered and hired for any available positions in the company. It can also be experienced by firing women who are going through pregnancy and childbirth, as in the case of Jamie Davis (Brown, 2016). Besides that, it may include instances in which the women may be denied pay, job assignments, training, promotion, and fringe benefits such as health insurance…

However, two federal state laws help to prevent, protect, and deal with any incidences of pregnancy discrimination. The two laws are the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (Brown, 2016). These federal laws ensure that women are not treated any differently whenever they decide to have children or go through the parenting process, which is a fundamental right for them. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act, enacted in 1978, was designed to prohibit and curb the unfair treatment of women, as a result of being pregnant (Brown, 2016). The act covers all forms of discrimination linked to childbirth, pregnancy, and other medical conditions. It states that employers are not allowed to fire, refuse to hire, or discriminate against women due to their pregnancy and pregnancy-related…